Nevada Museum of Art (Reno)

The Nevada Museum of Art at 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno is the only art museum in Nevada accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and the only art museum in the Great Basin region with a permanent collection of significant depth. The museum building, designed by architect Will Bruder and completed in 2003, is itself considered a work of art: its dramatic exterior of black Sierra Nevada quartzite panels references the strata of Nevada's mountain ranges and has won numerous architectural awards. The building's striking geometry is best photographed from the Liberty Street sidewalk in the afternoon when the low Nevada sun illuminates the dark stone facade. Inside, the museum spreads across four floors connected by a central light-filled atrium. The permanent collection focuses on art of the American West and the Great Basin, with particular emphasis on works that explore the relationship between humans and the natural environment — a theme addressed in the museum's E.L. Wiegand Gallery. The collection includes works by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and contemporary artists working in the region. Rotating temporary exhibitions bring nationally significant traveling shows to Reno multiple times a year; recent exhibitions have covered photography, contemporary painting, sculpture, and video installation. The museum's Café Beaujolais provides a light dining option on-site. General admission is $18 for adults and $10 for children aged 6–18, with free admission for Nevada residents on the third Saturday of each month. The museum is closed Mondays. Extended Thursday hours until 8PM provide an opportunity for an after-work visit combined with dinner in downtown Reno's surrounding restaurant district.